Local

The two candidates for the state Senate District 16 seat are each focused on improving education, reducing unemployment and creating new jobs.

Republican candidate Mick Mulvaney, the first-term incumbent state District 45 House representative, and Democratic candidate Mandy Powers Norrell will square off in the Nov. 4 race. The winner will succeed Greg Gregory, the Lancaster Republican who has held the seat for 16 years. Gregory is not seeking re-election.

As chairman of the 14th Annual Fire Safety Expo and a firefighter with the Lancaster Fire Department, Gainer will be one of several firefighters, police and rescue workers on hand to teach fire prevention and safety Saturday at the Wal-Mart parking lot on S.C. 9 Bypass. The expo attracted more than 3,000 people last year and Gainer hopes to exceed that number this year.

"It's getting bigger every year," Gainer said. "It's a big day to come and meet the people who serve the general public."

More than 100 years after Mark Twain's character Huckleberry Finn floated down the Mississippi River with runaway slave Jim, he faced trial at Indian Land High School.

English teacher Josh Bowers conducted the trial of Finn for crimes against the state of Missouri with members of his pre-advanced placement class serving as witnesses, attorneys, jury, court reporter and bailiff.

Mandy Powers Norrell, a Lancaster attorney and the Democratic candidate for the District 16 state Senate seat, presided as judge.

A musical comedy exploring the mystery of romantic relationships premieres this weekend in Lancaster.

The production of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," sponsored by the Community Playhouse of Lancaster County, focuses on a variety of relationships, from first dates to married life. The play originally premiered last year as part of a fundrasier production and was received very well.

The banking institution that has more than 3,300 locations in 21 states, including one on North Main Street in Lancaster, first made headlines early last week with the announcement that Citigroup would buy its operations.

That was until Friday, when San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co. presented Wachovia with an $15.1 billion offer to buy its operations without government assistance. Under Citigroup's $2.1 billion proposal, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., or FDIC, would have supervised the deal.

Mandy Powers Norrell's trip to career day at Heath Springs Elementary School last month has become a hot-button issue in the intense race for the District 16 state Senate seat.

Norrell, the Democrat seeking the seat, visited the school Sept. 12. She spoke with second-graders about the process of running for office, and answered questions as varied as who can vote and whether women could run for office.

The day went as scheduled, but it was what followed that has some people talking.

INDIAN LAND – On most mornings, you'll see Indian Land Elementary School Principal Beth Blum walking down the hall with a notepad in hand.

She's not taking notes on who's misbehaving – the paper and pen is to jot down an item a teacher or student may need.

Blum, who is in her first year as principal at ILES, aims to visit every class each day. When she steps into a classroom, she greets everyone with a smile, while also extending a helping hand to make the learning process a little smoother.

Bruce Brumfield is president and CEO of Founders Federal Credit Union, which has been based in Lancaster since its inception in the 1950s. Here he speaks about the national banking crisis, its effect on the local banking economy and how his institution is weathering the storm.

INDIAN LAND – It was sunshine and smiles at the third annual Fall into Fun festival in Indian Land on Saturday.

The festival, which raises money for the Del Webb Library at Indian Land, was moved this year from Sun City Carolina Lakes to Indian Land Middle School. Organizers hoped the move would make the fun more visible from U.S. 521 and draw an even bigger crowd.

"I'm ecstatic," said ILMS Principal David McDonald. "We've got tons of room and everyone seems to be having a good time. We special-ordered the weather today."